One month ago, U.S. oil traders weren’t paying much attention to the healthcare debate in Washington. They were more concerned about refinery operations in the Gulf, growing tension with Syria, and hundreds of other factors that would likely affect oil prices. After all, what were the odds that the U.S. government would actually shut down?

On October 1, everyone found out. Non-essential employees were sent home, projects were put on hold indefinitely, and non-mandatory spending was cut off. Suddenly the world’s largest oil consumer needed a lot less oil. Market participants who hadn’t accounted for the possibility of a shutdown, or come up with a contingency plan, found themselves exposed. And even as the shutdown appears likely to come to a close; uncertainty looms large as traders await the release of inventory data.

It is clear that the only way to succeed in today’s oil markets is to rely on new technology. No series of spreadsheets can account for all of the variables that threaten to dissolve margins and eliminate profits. Triple Point’s energy trading and risk management (ETRM) enterprise software, Commodity XL, stands alone in its ability to mitigate risk by providing comprehensive analysis throughout the oil market value chain. Learn more about Commodity XL for Oil.